Drops In The Ocean
by MiddleOfYesterday
Summary: "Why did you come here?" Riley asks softly. Maya shrugs, "Sometimes, I like looking out at the ocean. This place is so large, Riles. There is so much to explore. Just like our world, the ocean is filled with large and small animals. It reminds me that I'm not alone." "You're never alone," Riley says, taking Maya's hand. "I know," the blonde says softly. (Prompts/One-Shots)
1. Chapter 1

**Song: A Drop In The Ocean By Ron Pope**

* * *

 **"A drop in the ocean,**

 **A change in the weather,**

 **I was praying that you and me might end up together,**

 **It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,**

 **But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven."**

Maya bites her lip as Riley gets into the bed next to her. The brunette turns towards Maya and smiles. The blonde tries to force a smile, and Riley seems to buy it. The girl sighs and snuggles into Maya. Her breath ghosts on Maya's neck, and the girl feels tears well up in her eyes. She wasn't going to have this for much longer. Soon, Riley would be out of her grasp.

She snakes her arms around the brunette, holding her tight. Maya is going to miss this. Feeling a tear leak down her face, Maya studies the sleeping brunette's face. The blonde tries to memorize each feature on her face. She doesn't get any sleep that night.

 **"I don't wanna waste the weekend,**

 **If you don't love me pretend,**

 **A few more hours then it's time to go."**

"Hey, Riles, what do you want to do today?" Maya asks as they exit school.

Riley shrugs, "We could just sit around and watch TV."

Maya frowns a little, wanting to do something with Riley she can remember forever. Riley raises an eyebrow at her expectantly for her input. The blonde puts on her signature smirk and links arms with Riley.

"That sounds... Fine. Come on, let's head over to your house. We can even build a pillow fort," Maya suggests with a grin.

Riley squeals and gives the blonde a big hug, "Pillow forts are the best! Thanks, Maya! You are the best! I promise next time we can do whatever you want!"

Maya bites her lip and forces a smile. There wouldn't be another next time. Her time with Riley was almost up. She just wanted the last moments with the girl to be happy.

 **"As my train rolls down the east coast I wonder how you keep warm,**

 **It's too late to cry,**

 **Too broken to move on."**

Maya stares at the brunette curled up on the bed. She gathers up her bag and puts on her shoes. All her belongings together, the blonde heads over to Riley's bed. She smiles sadly seeing the brunette smiling and hugging the pillow she thought was Maya tightly.

The blonde leans down and gives Riley a kiss on the forehead. With that, Maya heads over to the bay window and opens it up. She takes one last glance at Riley and places the note she had written on Riley's bay window seat. A tear rolls down her face as Maya turns away from her best friend. She slips out into the night, knowing this is the last time she will ever see this apartment or the family inside of it.

"Goodbye, Riley. Thank you..." Maya whispers, shutting the bay window.

She runs out into the night, heading to the train station. The blonde furiously wipes her eyes, stopping the tears from trailing down her face. No, it was too late. There is no turning back.

With a deep breath, Maya steps onto the train. She finds her seat and stares out the window. She needed to move on, have a fresh start, but Riley won't leave her mind. The blonde presses her forehead against the cool glass, hugging her jacket closer to herself.

 **"And still I can't let you be,**

 **Most nights I hardly sleep,**

 **Don't take what you don't need from me."**

Maya stirs restlessly on her bed, her dreams plaguing her with memories of Riley. She opens her eyes, not able to sleep seeing the smiling brunette. The blonde bites her lip, holding the tears threatening to leak out at bay. She missed Riley. Oh, she missed her so badly.

The blonde walks over to the balcony and stands in the cool air, glad for the fresh air. She leans against the railing, looking at the moon and the glittering stars. Maya slumps in defeat as the memory of Riley teaching her about the constellations comes back.

"You always are there, even when we are hours away..." Maya whispers.

The dam finally breaks, and Maya lets her sobs wrack her body as the night slowly turns to a light gray.

 **"It's just a drop in the ocean,**

 **A change in the weather,**

 **I was praying that you and me might end up together,**

 **It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,**

 **But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven."**

Seventeen year old Maya stands on the busy streets of the city, spray paint cans and pieces of paper surrounding her. The blonde had a backwards baseball hat on with a black tank top and baggy jeans. Her face had streaks of spray paint on it, and her hair was in a messy ponytail, small amounts of paint evident in it.

"Spray paintings only ten dollars!" Maya calls into the busy street.

"Maya?" a voice calls.

The blonde freezes, recognizing that voice anywhere. She bites her lip and begins to pack up her spray paints into her large bag. She stuffs all of her items into her bag and begins to walk briskly away from the voice.

The voice calls out again, "Maya!"

Maya begins to run, her bag making it difficult to move fast. She hears footsteps growing closer, and the blonde begins to panic. She turns down one of the alley ways, but her heart leaps into her throat when she reaches a dead end. The footsteps grow even nearer as she scrambles to find any means of escape.

The footsteps finally stop, and Maya turns around to face the brick wall. She feels a hand on her shoulder, and Maya is slowly turned around to face the voice that haunts her dreams. Riley had found her.

Her breath catches in her throat as she sees how mature her old friend looks. She decides not to look at the brunette any longer in fear of cracking into an emotional mess. Instead, Maya stares at the ground, her eyes on her old, stained converse.

"Where were you?" Riley whispers.

Maya doesn't answer, but her heart aches from the pain in Riley's voice. She feels Riley shake her shoulders, demanding an answer. As Maya continues to stay silent, the brunette begins to yell about how painful it was to see that her best friend had just left without even saying goodbye, and all that she got was a tiny note. She yelled about how she began to get bullied from Maya's absence, and that Lucas and Farkle were the only ones there for her through it all.

"I know," Maya says quietly.

Riley glares at her old friend, tears in her eyes, "I should hate you."

Maya nods, "I know."

"Why can't I hate you?" Riley whispers in frustration.

The blonde looks at the ground, "You should. I abandoned you, Riley."

Maya feels a tear trail down her face. Riley's anger crumbles, seeing her old friend's pain. She wraps her arms around Maya, hugging her tightly.

"You're still my best friend," Riley whispers.

Maya grips her tightly, "You're still mine, too."

Everything seemed right with the world again. Maya missed Riley's warm embrace. She missed her sunny smile. The blonde simply missed Riley. And it killed her that she had to leave again.

 **"Misplaced trust in old friends,**

 **Never counting regrets,**

 **By the grace of God I do not rest at all."**

"Why did you bring us here, Maya? It's, like, midnight," Farkle mumbles sleepily.

"I'm leaving," fourteen year old Maya chokes out.

They gasp in shock and begin to ask questions. Maya hushes them quickly and then explains how she doesn't want Riley to know until she is gone. The two friends look at her quietly. Farkle looks out at night sky, deep in thought. Finally, Lucas takes a step forward, his back straightened and an icy glare pointed at Maya.

"Get out of here," Lucas hisses out quietly.

The blonde looks at him, pleadingly, "Lucas..."

"I don't care about your explanation, Maya. You are abandoning us. You are leaving your own friends, Maya. How can you even live with yourself?" Lucas lashes out angrily.

Maya winces at his words, "Don't say that."

Farkle bites his lip, "Maya... You are abandoning us. Can't you tell us why?"

"I... I can't, Farkle..." Maya says, the tears coming back.

Farkle looks at the ground, "Maybe you should leave, Maya."

Maya looks at them pleadingly, "Guys, please... I need someone to take care of Riley."

Lucas deflates a little, "Go, Maya. We will take care of Riley, but I don't know if I can trust you again after this. I swear, you better have a good reason. Go, before I change my mind..."

The blonde turns around, running out of the alleyway, tears trailing down her face. She had hurt two of her closest friends. Maya had hurt them more than she thought. She feels her chest tighten, regret consuming her as the girl flees to her apartment. She only had one day left until this would all be haunting memories. Until she left Riley.

 **"And New England as the leaves change,**

 **The last excuse that I'll claim,**

 **I was a boy who loved a woman like a little girl."**

Eighteen year old Maya sighs, hugging her knees to her chest as she looks outside her dorm window. She did it. The blonde had gone to the college she had been dreaming of: Suffolk University.

None of that seemed to matter, though. Maya's heart was aching, and she had become a complete shut-in besides shopping and classes. She had made excuses for herself, saying that she had given Riley all she could. That she was a bad influence. Riley didn't need her.

The worst part was all of that was true. Maya was the one who needed Riley. Riley was the one who kept Maya out of trouble. Her heart constricts as she remembers the brunette's smiling face. She buries her head in her hands, the tears not stopping.

 **"And still I can't let you be,**

 **Most nights I hardly sleep,**

 **Don't take what you don't need from me."**

Maya takes a deep breath, getting off the plane. She had graduated from Suffolk and didn't have the money to stay in New England. She grabs her luggage and begins the trek outside, hoping to find a taxi. She shudders, remembering the last time she had been in New York.

Somehow, Riley had found her, and she had trapped the blonde in an alleyway. She had screamed, cried, and hugged the blonde tightly as Maya just stood there in her own misery.

That day had haunted Maya for months and years. The twenty one year old shakes the thoughts from her head and waves at a taxi. She tells them the address, and they drive her to the apartment complex. Maya thanks the driver, handing them a twenty dollar bill. The driver nods in appreciation, and just like that, they drive off.

Maya lifts up her luggage and heads into her old apartment complex. She walks up the stairs to her mom's apartment, knocking on the door lightly. She hears the door click, and then it opens up to show Maya's mom, Katy.

"Maya!" Katy gasps, hugging her daughter tightly.

Maya smiles, "Mom."

She wraps her arms tightly around her mother, missing the embrace. Maya feels her heart warm a little, but the weight of abandonment still weighs heavily on it. The blonde grins and walks inside, placing her bags by the entrance.

The blonde yawns, tired from the late flight. Maya's mom shoos Maya to bed, giving her a kiss on the forehead. Maya gratefully falls into her old bed, loving the feeling of the lumpy mattress that was so familiar. With a sigh, Maya closes her eyes.

For a moment, she thinks she will actually be able to sleep until she remembers Riley's heartbroken face. Her eyes open, and the girl hugs her knees, sighing in defeat. No matter where the blonde went, regret would always find her. She feels another tear leak down her face. Maya knows she deserves this.

 **"It's just a drop in the ocean,**

 **A change in the weather,**

 **I was praying that you and me might end up together,**

 **It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,**

 **But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my..."**

Riley hears a knock on her apartment's door. She yells out to the person to hang on for a moment before quickly tying her hair up into a bun. She walks over to the door, almost tripping over the couch. The brunette opens up the door, a greeting on her tongue.

"Can I-" Riley starts, but the greeting completely leaves her mind as she sees the girl behind the door. "Maya?!"

The blonde looks up at Riley awkwardly, "Hey, Riles..."

Riley grins and gathers the blonde up in her arms, hugging her tightly. Maya stiffens for a moment before hugging the brunette tightly. She sighs and buries her head in the crook of Riley's neck. The blonde smiles.

"I missed you, my little plant," Maya whispers.

Riley smiles, "I missed you, too."

 **"Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore,**

 **No, no,**

 **Heaven doesn't seem far away,**

 **Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore,**

 **No, no,**

 **Heaven doesn't seem far away,**

 **Oh, oh."**

"I love you, Maya," Riley whispers, her eyes fighting to stay open.

Maya smiles and kisses the brunette on the forehead softly, "I love you, too, Riles."

They close their eyes, both finding sleep easily for the first time in years. Maya smiles in her sleep, her hand intertwined with Riley's. Finally, she was back together with Riley. She squeezes Riley's hand a little to make sure she isn't dreaming. If she is, Maya hopes that she never wakes up.

 **"It's just a drop in the ocean,**

 **A change in the weather,**

 **I was praying that you and me might end up together,**

 **It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,**

 **But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven,**

 **You are my heaven."**

* * *

 _ **A/N: So I decided that I wanted to do a story that was based on your prompts. Also, one-shots and drabbles. So leave your suggestions in the reviews, and I will try and get to them as soon as possible. Warning: these might be short or they might be long. It really depends.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! Please leave a follow/favorite and leave a suggestion for the next one-shot in this story! You can even asks for a continuation of a one-shot :P Thanks! Stay awesome! Bye!  
**_

 _ **~rsbaird**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Takes Place During Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels**_

* * *

"You stood up for Lucas and not me!" Maya says angrily.

"I'm not standing up for him," Riley argues.

The short blonde growls, "You didn't disagree with him."

Riley crosses her arms, "Well, when you really think about it, he wasn't wrong."

"Who cares?" Maya yells at the brunette.

"Oh, right and wrong don't matter now?" Riley snarls out.

Maya bites her lip and points between the two of them angrily, "The only thing that matters is you and me. When have I ever not stood up for you?"

"When I'm wrong!" Riley remarks.

"You're always wrong!" Maya yells at the girl, but she backtracks once she sees Riley's hurt expression. "-Or you're always right. Who cares? I don't listen, I just stick up for you automatically."

Zay runs down the hall, seeing the two girls yelling at each other. He grins cockily and turns around to face the students.

"Ooh, chick fight! Chick fight right here, ladies and gentlemen," Zay announces to the crowd.

He leaps up to sit on a ledge next to Lucas and Farkle. Zay leans back, grinning.

"One dollar to see the shocker by the lockers. Brought to you by Zay Babineaux enterprises," the boy continues.

"I'm not gonna be the cause of this," Lucas says, looking at the two angry girls.

He leaps off the ledge, leaving Farkle and Zay alone. He walks over to Maya and Riley calmly. He wrings his hands awkwardly, earning an icy glare from Maya.

Maya growls at Lucas, "Too late, huckleberry."

Zay giggles, "Huckleberry."

Lucas sighs, "You know why it happened, Maya? All you do is call me names. I finally struck back once."

Maya whips around to face him. Lucas takes a step back from surprise. Farkle stands next to him, looking at the blonde. She points a finger at Lucas, the glare enough to make any person run away in fear.

"This has nothing to do with you, who I will deal with later," Maya says threateningly.

Farkle and Lucas take another step back, "Yee."

She glares back at Riley and states accusingly, "This happened because she stuck up for you."

"I didn't stick up for him," Riley protests.

"You didn't disagree with him," Maya counters, anger lacing her tone.

"How could she disagree with him, he's right?" Farkle pipes up.

"You're next!" Maya yells at the boy.

Farkle winks, "I want to be first."

Riley and Maya take a step back, "Yee."

"He is right, you know," Zay says calmly.

Maya looks around in disbelief. Everyone was against her. She feels her anger grow even more. She groans in frustration, running her hands through her hair.

"Why does that mean so much to everybody?" Maya hisses out.

Riley opens her mouth to say something, but Maya cuts her off with a hurt look and speaks softly, "When being right is more important than being friends Then that's the end of being friends."

Maya glances at all her friends, shaking her head before shoving past them. Riley stares at Maya as the blonde exits the school. She looks at Farkle and Lucas for help, but they just stare at the ground. Riley looks at the exit worriedly. She bites her lip, torn. Riley wanted to just leave the blonde alone, but also, Riley knew it wasn't safe to be alone in New York City.

She sighs and looks at Farkle and Lucas apologetically before walking towards the exit of the school. The brunette walks outside, the sun hitting her face pleasantly. Riley needed to look for Maya.

* * *

Riley groans, her legs aching from walking around the places Maya usually visits. She was losing hope, and the brunette was becoming worried. The last place Riley decides to check is the beach. She highly doubted Maya was there, but the brunette wasn't going to take any chances in missing her friend. She walks down the beach, seeing a figure sitting alone on the shore.

"What are you doing?" Riley asks as she sees her friend sitting on the beach shore.

Maya doesn't let her gaze leave the ocean, "Nothing."

The brunette silently sits next to the blonde. She sighs and looks out at the waves. Riley glances at Maya's face, noticing the emotionless look. She frowns, hoping for some type of emotion from her best friend. Maya just sits there, hugging her knees with her chin resting on them.

"Why did you come here?" the brunette asks softly.

Maya shrugs, "Sometimes, I like looking out at the ocean. The ocean is so large, Riles. There is still so many secrets in the ocean. Just like our world, the ocean is filled with large and small animals. It reminds me that I'm not alone."

Riley bites her lip, "Why does it matter so much that Lucas called you a short stack of pancakes?"

The blonde shakes her head, finally turning to look at Riley, "You really don't get it do you?"

Riley shakes her head. Maya sighs and stares back out at the ocean. Riley glances at the blonde, wondering if she was going to explain. The brunette hugs her knees, falling into a similar position as Maya.

"Riley, there are so many people in the world. Important people, rich people, helpful people... There isn't much room for people that are like me: abandoned and hopeless, a lost cause. I feel so small in this world... Except when I am with you. In the moments I am with you, I feel like I am the most important person in the world; that I'm not just a tiny part that no one notices.

"But... when you say that I am small... I feel worthless, like no one out there actually needs me. It feels like you think that I don't matter. When you agree with Lucas, it makes me feel like the world will always judge me for how small I am. How little I can offer the world. Right now, I feel tiny and scared, Riles, and it's because I don't have my best friend to help me," Maya says, still not looking at the brunette.

Riley frowns, "Peaches..."

Maya shrugs and gets up, "You know what? It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," Riley says softly, grabbing Maya's hand.

The blonde sits down and looks at the waves again, "Do you think I am small?"

Riley shakes her head, "No... Peaches, you are one of the bravest people I know. Someday, you are going to do something great."

Maya shrugs and looks at Riley. The brunette feels a tug at her heart as she sees the vulnerable look in Maya's eyes. Without any hesitation, Riley gathers up the blonde in her arms, resting her chin on Maya's head. Maya quickly holds tightly to Riley.

"You're amazing, Riles," Maya whispers, her voice hoarse.

The brunette smiles softly, "No, you're amazing. I know you protect me from the cruel people in the world, Maya. That means a lot to me."

"I need to protect my little plant. You need to be able to sit out in the sunshine and not be trampled by weeds. As long as I am here, no one will ever hurt you. I promise," Maya says solemnly.

Riley squeezes Maya tighter, "See? You aren't just a small animal in the ocean. You're my favorite person in the world, Maya."

"That's all that I want, Riles," Maya says softly.

The brunette grabs the blonde's hands, "Then you have it."

Maya snuggles into Riley, "Thank you."

"I love you, Maya," Riley says.

Maya squeezes her friend's hand tighter, "I love you, too."

The two friends look out at the ocean, a calm peace hanging around them. The only sounds that are heard are the ocean waves and the birds. They sigh, watching the sun set on the ocean.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Leave suggestions in reviews, and make sure to follow/favorite for quicker updates :P Thanks for reading! Stay awesome, bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Riley has a nightmare, and Maya comforts her.**

* * *

Riley was a fairly happy person. She doesn't have many bad things happen to her. She lives a pretty nice life with a loving family and an extremely protective best friend. So normally, Riley would never get any nightmares. Tonight seemed to be an exception.

The brunette stirs in her sleep, frowning deeply. She shivers, grumbling in pain. Riley starts mumbling phrases begging for someone to stop. Breathing becoming erratic, Riley begins to break out in a sweat. Finally, she jolts awake, gasping for breath. Tears streamed down her face, hugging herself.

"It was just a dream... It was just a dream," Riley says shakily.

The images of her nightmare still burned in her head, making sleep impossible. There was only one thing that could comfort Riley right now. Tears still falling, Riley grabs her phone and flips to Maya's contact. She holds the phone up to her ear, begging for the blonde to answer. After the third ring, Riley heard Maya's sleepy voice through the phone.

"Mmm... What's up, Riles?" Maya mumbles.

Riley lets out a sob, "Maya..."

"Riles?! What's wrong? Are you in trouble? Where are you?!" Maya's worried voice calls through the phone.

The brunette trembles, her nightmare still vivid in her brain, "H-home..."

"I'm coming over," Maya states before hanging up the phone.

Hearing the click of the call ending, Riley shakily puts down the phone. She hugs her knees and buries her head inside her giant night shirt. The shivers wouldn't leave, and Riley felt the increasing panic that Maya was in trouble. The longer Maya wasn't there, the more Riley started to panic. She bites her lip, the sleep shirt her own little fortress.

"Riles?" the brunette hears Maya say softly.

She trembles, and the brunette hears footsteps near her bed. Feeling a dip in the bed, Riley knows Maya is sitting next to her, deciding what to do. Arms slowly wrap around the brunette, and she feels the warmth of Maya wrap around her. She trembles even more, small whimpers escaping her mouth.

Maya strokes her hair comfortingly, trying to calm Riley down. She whispers assurances to her friend, hoping it will comfort the shaking brunette. After several minutes of Maya just hugging Riley and trying to calm her down, the brunette finally pokes her head out from her night shirt.

Seeing her tear stained face, Maya whispers, "Oh, sweetie... Come here."

Riley doesn't think twice before latching onto the blonde like she was her lifeline. Maya leans back a bit from the sudden hug, but she quickly straightens herself out and rubs circles soothingly into Riley's back. The brunette continues to whimper, but the shivering had mostly stopped.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Maya asks softly.

Riley nods, and the blonde releases the brunette so she can see her face. Maya grabs Riley's hand, leading the shaking girl to their bay window. Maya sits crosslegged on the cushioned window, signaling for Riley to do the same. The brunette shudders, copying Maya. Maya looks at her friend in deep concern, not pushing for her to start talking.

After a few moments, Riley's shaky voice interrupts the silence, "I had a nightmare..."

Maya nods, not wanting to interrupt her friend. Riley takes a deep breath, her hands shaking. The blonde grabs Riley's hands softly, stopping her shaking. Riley nods before looking Maya in the eyes sincerely.

"It was about you," Riley continues. "We were being chased down an alley by these two large men, and they had trapped us when we came to a dead end. One of the men grabbed me by my hair and made me kneel on the ground... Maya, he had a gun to my head. Then, the other man did the same to you..."

Riley's eyes become blurry, the nightmare being relived in her mind. Maya listens as the brunette continues with the nightmare. She rubs Riley's hand with her thumb soothingly, coaxing the girl to continue.

* * *

 _Riley gasps as the alley opens up to a dead end blocked by a fence. Maya and Riley come to a halt, looking for an exit. They hear the men's footsteps nearing, and the friends continue to search for any means of exit. Maya glances at a part in the fence that seemed it would break with a push... She bites her lip, a plan forming in her head._

 _The two men came into their view, and Maya grabbed Riley's shaking hand protectively. They growl, and one of the men grabs Riley's hair roughly, making the brunette yelp in pain. He shoves her to the ground forcing the brunette to kneel on the ground, a gun to her head._

 _"Riley!" Maya gasps, running over to the girl._

 _"Get back, blondie," the other man growls before grabbing her hair and forcing her to her knees._

 _The blonde glares at the two defiantly before glancing over at Riley, "When I say run, you run into that part of the fence as hard as you can. Don't you dare stop, no matter what you hear."_

 _Riley nods, not knowing what Maya's plan was. The blonde squeezes Riley's hand reassuringly before getting up quickly and kicking the guy holding the gun to Riley's head in the crotch. He groans, falling to the ground._

 _"Run!" Maya screams at the brunette._

 _Riley scrambles up from the ground and runs full force into the weak part of the fence. She winces, the wood shattering around her, but the brunette doesn't stop. She hears Maya scream, and the two men grunt. Finally, there was silence. Riley felt dread fill her heart._

 _Quickly, Riley sneaks behind the fence, listening for Maya and the two men. She hears the two men yelling at each other before their loud footsteps become quieter and quieter. Riley scrambles back into the alley, looking for Maya._

 _She gasps, seeing the blonde on the ground. Riley grabs Maya's face, feeling tears fill her eyes. She was hurt. Maya was hurt trying to protect Riley._

 _The blonde opens one of her eyes, and she tucks a strand of hair behind Riley's ear, "Don't be sad, my little plant. If I had to leave, I would want it to be like this."_

 _Riley grabs Maya's hand, "Don't leave me, Maya! Please!"  
_

 _Maya smiles sadly at Riley before she closes her eyes. Riley shakes her shoulders, screaming for the blonde to get up, to stop pretending. She whimpers falling to the ground in anguish. Maya was gone._

"Y-You... You were gone, Maya. You were dead..." Riley whimpers out.

The blonde bites her lip before wrapping Riley in a large hug. Riley grabs onto her tightly, shivering. Maya strokes her hair soothingly. She kisses the brunette's cheek, trying to make the brunette focus on her.

"Hey, I would never leave you," Maya whispers.

Riley looks at Maya vulnerably, "Promise?"

"Never, would I ever, leave my little plant alone. Riles, I will always be here to help you up when you fall and to heal your wounds. I promise to never leave you, Riles because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me," Maya says softly.

Riley lays her head on Maya's lap, exhaustion finally overtaking her, "Good."

The blonde smiles and plays with Riley's hair calmingly. She looks out at the night sky, a small smile on her face. She looks down at the brunette, kissing her forehead.

"You're my world, Riles. I couldn't live without you," Maya says softly to the sleeping girl.

The brunette smiles in her sleep. Maya leans her back against the wall, closing her eyes. Neither of them have any bad dreams invade their sleep.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Make sure to leave any suggestions for one-shots in the reviews! Please leave a follow/favorite to show your support for the story! Thanks and stay awesome! Bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird**_


	4. Chapter 4

**A** **/N: Young Maya sticks up for Riley when an older kid yells at her**

* * *

Maya Hart was only seven, but her glare was enough to make any sensible adult pee their pants. She may not look the part, but the blonde could easily pin a guy twice her size with little trouble. She luckily didn't do this much. Usually, Maya could get people to leave her alone with words which were just as frightening as her small fists.

The only way the tall blonde (yes, she was tall as a little kid) would usually use physical fighting was if someone threatened Riley. If you even looked at Riley the wrong way, Maya would be on you immediately. She was extremely protective of her friend.

Her classmates quickly learned the rules Maya had silently planted around Riley. Someone had even made a list. They were fairly simple, but if you ever broke one of them, you would regret it. Maya was not someone to be taken lightly when it involved the brunette.

Unfortunately for one new kid at her school, he didn't know about the unspoken rules revolving around Riley Matthews. Shane, the newest addition to the sixth grade class, walked out onto the playground. It was his first day, and Shane joined the line for teams for kickball. He was one of those kids who took games very seriously. Little did he know that Maya had finally convinced her friend to try kickball for the first time.

Teams were chosen, and Shane and Riley both were picked to be on the same team. Maya had been picked for the kicker team. She pouts, wanting to have been with Riley, but she joins the kicker line anyway. Riley looks around nervously before heading out between first and second base. Maya smiles at her as the roller rolls the ball towards the home plate.

The ball is kicked towards Riley, and the brunette covers her head as she sees it near her face. It bounces to the ground before rolling towards third. Shane scrambles to get it, holding his annoyance in check for the girl ruining an easy out.

This happened two more times, and Shane was about to snap at the girl for ruining their chances. They only needed one more out, and all the bases were loaded. The roller quickly rolls the ball to the kicker, and it soars between first and second.

Shane watches as Riley runs after the ball, and it soars right into her arms. That is, until it slips out of her fingers and rolls away from the kickball game. The kicker team cheers as all of their teammates make it home. Shane growls, his anger finally snapping.

"Are you kidding me?! That was so easy to catch! You just cost us the game!" he yells at the brunette.

Riley bites her lip, looking at the ground. Shane walks over to her and sets his jaw. The rest of the players hold their breath. They knew that Shane had just broken one of the rules.

"Why did you even join?! That was pitiful," the boy fumes.

Riley blushes and whispers quietly, "Sorry."

He balls his fists, "You should be! I mean, come on! You literally handed them the game!"

"Hey, Dipwad! Step off my friend!" a voice growls behind him.

The boy turns to see a furious Maya giving him a glare that sent chills down his back. Instead of showing his fear, Shane straightens his shoulders, looking at Maya angrily. He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow at her.

Shane growls out, "She cost us the game, but obviously, you wouldn't care since you are ON that team! I bet she just threw the game so her good ol' friend could win!"

Maya growls and grabs the boy's shirt. She pulls him close to her face, and Shane is shocked by her immense strength. The blonde gives him a deadly glare.

"Leave her alone, or you will have to go through me," Maya says menacingly.

Shane rolls his eyes, "Ah... I see. I am supposed to be afraid of a seven year old girl and her clueless friend. Yeah, not gonna happen."

The blonde calmly says, "Wrong answer."

The next thing Shane knows is that he is on his stomach on the rough blacktop with Maya straddling him. He winces as the feisty blonde grabs his arm and pushes it upward. He yelps out in pain, begging for her to let him go.

"Let me go! Ow! Seriously, get off me!" Shane pleads in pain.

Maya growls from on top of him, "Never. Ever. Talk to Riley like that ever again, you hear me? Don't even LOOK at her the wrong way. If you ever do, I won't stop, got it?"

Shane is silent, and Maya pulls his arm upward even more. He yelps in more pain.

"Alright, alright! Let me go!" he pleads.

Maya steps off him and turns to Riley, "You okay, Riles?"

She smiles and nods, "Thanks, Maya."

"Anything for you, sweetie."

Shane lays on the ground in pain as Maya and Riley walk away from the game, arms linked together. One of the boys walks over to Shane and crouches down so Shane can see his face. He gives him a sympathetic smile.

"Listen, I know you are new, but there are certain rules with Riley Matthews. That blonde chick? She's Maya Hart, and she will mess you up if you even look at her friend wrong. You got lucky. One kid had to be taken to the hospital because he called Riley weird," the boy says.

The sixth grader moans in pain, "It would've been better to have know before."

The boy rolls his eyes, "Yeah, everyone at this school knows about Maya and Riley. They are like the best best friends in this whole school. Maya will protect that girl with her life. Here, take this and learn the rules because Maya won't forget about what you said to Riley."

Shane sits up, rubbing his arm as the boy hands him a piece of paper. He looks at the paper with a raised eyebrow, but he smiles a little.

"I wish I had as good of a friend as Maya," Shane says, looking over the paper.

The boy chuckles, "There is only one Riley and Maya. Trust me, you will never find a closer pair of friends."

 **Rules of Riley Matthews**

 **1) Never, ever, spread rumors about her unless you want a black eye**

 **2) Don't insult Riley in any form unless you want to be emotionally scarred by Maya for the rest of your life**

 **3) Shoving, punching, kicking, or any other type of physical pain inflicted on Riley by you will probably be the biggest mistake of your life**

 **4) Never laugh at Riley, or prepare for the apocalypse that you have brought upon yourself**

 **5) If you make Riley cry, you better move because you are now officially on Maya's hit-list**

 **6) Make Riley doubt herself, and you will never leave your house because Maya will be waiting outside**

 **Follow these rules or you will face Maya Hart, and she will not care what you said or did. Even if it was an accident, you better apologize to Riley right away or her best friend will make you wish you weren't born. Hopefully, you never get on her bad side because she will not forget about what you said. Best of luck, and welcome to John Quincy Adams!**

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading and leave any suggestions you have for another chapter in the reviews! Leave you support with a follow/favorite for quicker updates! Thanks, bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird :P**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Prompt Requested By Guest:_** ** _heres a prompt idea...for years riley has always taken the blame for maya, but finally riley does something really bad and maya finally returns the favor? idk use your imagination!_**

* * *

When it happened the first time, Maya didn't know what to think. This two year old girl didn't even know her for five seconds before she took the blame for Maya when she had pranked the teacher. Seriously, Riley, the brunette girl, had just walked over to Maya and said they were friends before she took the blame.

"Riley? Why?" Maya asks in confusion.

Riley smiles brightly, even if she did have a red card now, "We're friends. Friends protect each other."

Maya raises her eyebrow, but she shrugs, a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was the first time anyone had actually wanted to protect her. The blonde smiles slightly. Riley Matthews had her back. The brunette smiles again at Maya, no trace of anger or regret on her face.

* * *

It happened again when Maya was seven and Riley was six. They were playing on the playground when Maya found a frog and put it in her teacher's hood without him noticing. She scrambled away from him as he turned to his other teachers, not realizing a frog was hopping around in his hood.

Maya breaks out in laughter as the teacher yelps in surprise before hopping around and patting his jacket. His expression on his face was hilarious to Maya, and Riley giggled along with the girl. Finally the teacher threw his jacket off, and the frog leaped out, not knowing the panic he had caused.

The other teachers held in their laughter, but all the students who had seen the scene were laughing their butts off. Maya and Riley included. The teacher's face becomes red in a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"Alright, who is the funny guy who put the frog in my jacket!?" he yells at the students.

They all back away, and the teacher spots Maya and Riley in the corner of his eye. He walks over there, crossing his arms in expectation. Maya nervously messes with her bracelet, and Riley looks at the ground, afraid that the teacher will see her guilty expression.

"Miss Hart, do you know who did this?" he said calmly.

Maya looks up sheepishly, "Well, sir-"

"I did it," Riley says.

Maya looks at her in surprise and so does the teacher. He raises an eyebrow, his face showing his confusion. Maya gives Riley a look, but the brunette looks at her reassuringly. She grabs the blonde's hand, squeezing it before looking up at their teacher.

"I was the one who put the frog in your hood. It was just a prank," Riley says.

The teacher frowns at Riley, "Well, Miss Matthews, I am severely disappointed in you. I expect this from Miss Hart, but from you? Didn't your father teach you any better? Your parents will get a phone call about this."

Maya looks at the ground guiltily. Riley had stuck up for her again. The teacher walks away, still confused as to why Riley had done this. The brunette raises Maya's chin so the seven year old looked Riley in the eyes.

"Why would you do that, Riles?" Maya asks guiltily.

"Hey, I have to stand by my girl, right?" Riley says with a smile.

* * *

Riley continued to stand up for Maya, making the blonde feel even guiltier. Riley kept telling her that she was okay with taking the blame for Maya, but the girl didn't feel happy about Riley getting in trouble. So when Riley got in trouble, Maya knew what she had to do.

"Riley, you did what?!" Maya exclaims.

Riley rubs her neck nervously, "I broke a window! It was an accident, I swear!"

Maya rubs her forehead stressfully, "You're gonna get in serious trouble, Riles! This isn't good!"

The brunette bites her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, "I know..."

Just then, the principal storms over to the two friends. He glares at Riley, and the tall girl gulps nervously. Maya discreetly grabs her friend's hand and squeezes it. Riley squeezes back, showing her thanks. The principal, Mr. Yancy, looks at Riley expectantly.

"Miss Matthews, students have told me that you are the one who broke the window, is that true?" Principal Yancy asks sternly.

Riley looks at him nervously, "Well, it-"

"It was me, sir. I broke the window," Maya speaks up.

Principal Yancy turns to the blonde and glares at her, "I should've expected it, Miss Hart. You are coming with me to my office to discuss your punishment for your actions. Miss Matthews, I am sorry that I pushed the blame onto you like that."

Riley nods numbly, and the principal turns away. Maya smiles reassuringly at Riley, and the brunette looks at her guiltily. She squeezes Riley's hand one last time before letting go.

"Why did you do that?" Riley asks softly.

Maya grins knowingly, "I have to stand by my girl, don't I? Riles, you always take the blame. Let me help you for once."

Riley smiles and hugs the blonde, "Thank you."

The blonde hugs Riley back and lets her go. She gives the brunette a salute before walking down to Mr. Yancy's office. Riley smiles at her friend. Maya had taken the blame for something Riley had done. She just hoped that Maya would be okay.

* * *

"Well?" Riley asked as Maya walked out of the principal's office.

She sighs and gives Riley a small smile, "I'm fine, Riles. I'm suspended for a week and have to work in the cafeteria during those days, but I'll be fine."

Riley looks at Maya guiltily, "You didn't have to do that, Maya. I should be suspended, not you."

Maya shrugs, "But I wanted to. I want to protect you, Riles. That's what best friends are for."

"You're my best friend," Riley says with a grin.

"Yep, and you are mine. We always have to stick together," Maya says, linking their arms together.

Riley lays her head on Maya's shoulder, "Okay."

The two friends smile at eachother. The brunette grabs Maya's hand, unlinking their arms so she can hold her hand. The two friends walk out of the school together, smiles on their faces.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks for the prompt! It was really fun to write ;P So if you guys have any suggestions for another chapter, leave them in the reviews, and I will type them up as soon as I can :3 Thanks for the awesome support and please leave a follow/favorite! Oh yeah, and I got an answer for one of the reviewers :P**_

 _ **Guest: She missed catching it so they didn't have any outs. She missed getting out two more people when she missed the ball, but in between that her team got two other kickers out :P I hope that makes sense XD**_

 _ **Thanks for the support! I'll see ya next chapter :3 Stay awesome! Bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird :P**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Prompt requested by Guest:**_ _ **You should write a first puberty story for either Riley or Maya and have the other friend be there for the other!**_

 _ **Warning: Puberty. Just, make sure you know that XD**_

* * *

Fourteen year old Maya sits at Topanga's, waiting for her mother's shift to end. The blonde sighs, sipping on her smoothie as her mom wipes one of the tables. She looks at the time on her phone. She still had to wait twenty minutes. The blonde frowns and rests her head on her chin. She begins to space out, her thoughts travelling aimlessly around.

Maya raises a brow as her phone rings. She shrugs, seeing that it is Mr. Matthews. She clicks the green button and holds the phone to her ear.

"Matthews, whatcha need?" Maya greets.

"I need help! Riley is acting... crazy!" Cory yells through the phone, making Maya pull it away from her ear a little bit.

The blonde looks at her mom before sighing in defeat, "Alright, I'll be over in five. Think ya can handle that, Matthews?"

"Hurry! She's... Unpredictable!" Cory pleads.

The blonde rolls her eyes and stops the call. She walks over to her mom. Katy smiles at her child, and Maya sighs and looks at her apologetically.

Maya hugs Katy, "I gotta go, mom. Mr. Matthews is becoming spastic because Riley apparently is acting crazier than usual. I have to diffuse the situation."

The older blonde smiles, "Alright, you go ahead and help Riley and Mr. Matthews. I'll be at home. Text me if you are spending the night, okay, sweetie?"

Maya nods, and Katy kisses her daughter on her head. They hug before Maya lets go and heads to the exit. She smiles and waves at her mom before exiting the little hangout. She steps onto the street, wondering what was so bad that Cory couldn't handle Riley, his little girl.

* * *

Maya presses the transmission speaker to Apartment 26, "Maya."

"Get up here, quick!" Cory yelps from the other end.

Maya giggles and walks to the Matthews' apartment. She opens the door, seeing Cory cowering on the couch with his hands around his ears. He rocks back and forth as if he had just seen a ghost.

"What's up, Matthews? You look like you just saw a ghost," Maya says with her signature smirk.

He points to the hallway leading to Riley's door. Maya rolls her eyes again and walks down the little hallway. She stops as she reaches Riley's door and presses her ear against the door. Maya frowns, hearing her friend crying.

"Riles?" Maya says, knocking lightly on the wooden door.

The door opens to a sobbing Riley, "M-Maya!"

The brunette latches around the girl, her sobs even louder than before. The blonde slowly pats the girl awkwardly on the back. Riley just sniffles and sobs.

"So what's wrong?" Maya asks after her sobs stop a little.

The brunette removes her head from Maya's shoulder so the blonde can see her upset face, "I came to my room today, and I realized..."

Maya grabs her friend's hands in concern, "You can tell me. I promise."

Riley sniffles and nods, "We didn't have any Lucky Charms!"

The brunette crumbles again, gripping onto Maya. She sobs again, and the blonde raises an eyebrow. Slowly detaching Riley from her, Maya brushes a loose strand of hair behind the brunette's ear.

"Hang on, you made me run all the way from Topanga's so you have me emotionally support you for not having cereal?!" Maya yells at the girl.

Riley nods, looking at the girl vulnerably, "It's really good... I really, really wanted some..."

Maya groans in frustration, "Why didn't you just tell me this morning you were running out? There is nothing to be upset about. It's just cereal!"

Suddenly, Maya was pushed against the wall, an extremely angry Riley hovering dangerously close. Maya gulps as the brunette pulls her face closer by wrapping her shirt around her fist. The brunette glares at Maya with a stare that was almost as good as the blonde's herself.

"You wouldn't understand, now would you?! You wouldn't care if we ran out of Lucky Charms because I know YOU are a Cinnamon Toast Crunch person, you traitor!" Riley yells accusingly.

The brunette slams both her hands on either side of Maya's head, making the blonde flinch. Riley looks at her accusingly,the rage clear in her eyes. Maya gulps again, her best friend making her strangely intimidated.

"Why does cereal matter so much?! Look at you, Riles!" Maya says.

The brunette glares at Maya dangerously, "Don't insult Lucky Charms!"

"You're being crazy! Snap out of it!" Maya yells.

The brunette's lip trembles, and she almost immediately is a sobbing mess again. The blonde watches as Riley sinks to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Maya slides down with her, rubbing soothing circles on her back as her best friend grabs onto her shirt, burying her head. Maya hums, still wondering what was going on with Riley.

"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have shoved you against that wall! I just am really upset about my cereal," Riley sobs.

Maya hugs the girl, silencing her, "It's okay... Tell you what. How about tomorrow we go and buy you a box of Lucky Charms, okay? Is that better?"

Riley nods, not saying anything. She hugs the blonde closer, and Maya holds onto her emotional friend tightly. She strokes Riley's hair comfortingly as the brunette continues to cry.

"I really want some cereal," the brunette whimpers out.

Maya kisses her forehead, "I know, honey. I know you want cereal."

* * *

"So... What happened?" Cory asks as he and Topanga stand outside the doorway of Riley's room.

Topanga rolls her eyes, "Puberty."

"Oh," Cory says dumbly. "Wait, what?! Ew!"

Topanga gives Cory a peck on the lips, "Well, Mr. Teacher. Hope you are ready for a raging hormonal teen because soon she will be like this EVERY day!"

Cory grips his chest, groaning like he just got shot. Topanga walks away with a smirk. Before leaving his earshot, Topanga looks over her shoulder.

"Just WAIT until Maya goes through this stage," Topanga says before walking to their bedroom.

Cory gasps, sliding down to the floor.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I loved how this happened XD So hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter, too! Thanks for the awesome reviews! Leave your suggestions for new chapters in the review box, and I will type them up as soon as possible :P Please leave your support with a follow/favorite! Thanks!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! Stay awesome! Bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird :P**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Requested by Flaring Friendly Lover:**_ _ **Could you do one where Maya gets bullied and Riley has her back or gets upset and in turn people know they shouldn't mess with Maya either?**_

 ** _T/W: Bullying_**

* * *

The first time it happens, Riley brushes it off as a one time thing. That Maya would make that guy sorry for insulting her. No one gets away with calling Maya Hart names without a new injury. So when Riley sees Maya in the hallway, talking to a gang of girls led by Missy Bradford, she knows something is up.

Riley shoves her books into her locker, the school day being over. With a purpose in her steps, the brunette walks over to the cluster of girls. As she nears, Riley begins to hear parts of their conversation. A look of anger crosses over her face as she continues to listen to Missy's gang.

"-Look, don't take it personal. It's not your fault that your mom has the looks of a horse. I mean, mother like daughter, right?" Missy sneers.

Another one of the girls, a tall redhead, smirks at Maya, "Look, Little Miss Rebel is going to cry! I guess Shortstack here isn't as tough as she makes herself sound."

Riley grows closer to the girls, steam practically coming out of her ears. Her cheeks are rosy, and the brunette's blood is boiling. She finally sees one of the girls notice her, and she nudges Missy. Missy looks up at Riley and smirks as the brunette stands beside Maya. Riley grabs Maya's hand, squeezing it in assurance. She notes quickly that the blonde's hand is trembling.

"Look, the chump is here! Come here to help your 'wittle fwiend'? Aw, how cute!" Missy says in a demeaning voice.

Riley glares at the girl so coldly that Missy takes a little step back in surprise, "I'm sorry, but are you looking in the mirror because the only chump here is you. Obviously, you need to go back to preschool because, seriously, bullying is something a four year old does. So how about you go home and reevaluate what age you are, mmkay?"

Missy is stunned for a moment before her cheeks become tinted red in anger, "How dare you! What gives you the right to speak to me like that?!"

Riley squeezes Maya's hand again, the blonde being silent the whole time. She lets go afterwards and takes a step towards Missy, her height becoming intimidating. She glares at the girl again.

"What gives you the right to talk to Maya like that? Oh, is it because you're better than everyone? Because news flash, you aren't the center of the universe, Missy. So how about you step away from my Peaches, Bulldozer?" Riley says in an even tone.

Missy crosses her arms over chest, trying to act like this didn't affect her. Her reddening ears said different, though. Riley was verbally taking the girl down a peg in front of her friends. She looks at Riley angrily before pointing at Maya who was currently burying her hands in her pockets, her face covered by hair as the blonde looked at the floor.

"See? Shortstack has to get the giant here to fight her battles for her. I knew that she was a fake. You're nothing, Maya!" Missy lashes at the blonde.

Maya flinches from her words, and Riley only gets angrier. The brunette looks Missy square in the eyes, speaking in a low and threatening voice. Riley's fist clench, the urge to punch the girl in the face becoming harder to resist.

"Really? Maya is the nothing here? Says the girl who is picking on a girl who already has a hard life at home. If anyone's a nothing it's you. I am giving you until the count of five to leave the school. If you don't I will make sure that you and your friends won't be coming to school for at least a week."

Missy watches as Riley holds up her hand, starting the countdown. The brunette slumps her shoulders in defeat, irritation written all over her face. She flips her hair over her shoulder, turning to her friends with a scoff.

"Ugh, whatever. Come on, girls. We should get going anyways," Missy says.

The gang of girls leave, leaving Maya and Riley behind. Riley crouches on the ground, looking up at Maya. The blonde has tears trailing down her face, and her lip is quivering. Riley tucks her friend's hair behind her ear, and Maya continues to tremble.

"Oh, Peaches, come here," Riley says softly, opening her arms.

Maya quickly latches onto Riley, burying her face into the crook of the brunette's neck. She grabs fists of Riley's shirt, her sobs being muffled by Riley. Riley just wraps her arms around Maya, rubbing soothing circles into her back.

"How long?" Riley asks softly.

Maya sniffles, her voice shaking, "S-Since the dance..."

Riley strokes the blonde's hair, "Oh, Peaches... I'm so sorry... I should've been there. If I had known-"

Maya shakes her head and looks at Riley with tears still streaming down her face, "No. You are here now, and that's all that matters."

The brunette nods, and Maya hugs Riley again. Riley puts her chin on Maya's head, humming soothingly. Slowly, Maya's shoulders stop shaking, and all that surrounds them is the shaking breaths of the blonde. Riley looks down at her friend.

"Are you okay?" Riley asks.

Maya interlaces their fingers and looks at Riley with a small, watery smile, "I am now."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, my family had an emergency. So, thanks for the suggestion Flaring Friendly Lover! :3 So if you guys have a suggestion for a chapter, write it down in the reviews! Please leave a follow/favorite, and I will see ya next time, bye!**_

 _ **~rsbaird**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: This was requested by guest:** **These are all really good. I think you should do one based off of the song 'what love really means' by JJ Heller.**_

 _ **I had another request from another guest, but I didn't really understand what they meant so if they can clarify, I would be happy to write it :P I'll put up the review here: "**_ _ **You should do a continuation of that chapter and either do when Riley becomes a woman and turns to her mom or Maya. Or a story where Maya becomes a woman and turns to Riley and Topanga."**_

 ** _Thanks!_**

* * *

 **"He cries in the corner where nobody sees**

 **He's the kid with the story**

 **No one would believe**

 **He prays every night**

 **"Dear God won't you please**

 **Could you send someone here**

 **Who will love me?"**

Maya looks at her mom in hurt, "You think I did it?"

Katy pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Maya, I know you like to act rebellious, but you can't just go out and vandalize someone else's property. You should know better."

The blonde protest, "But I didn't-"

"Maya Penelope Hart! Do not lie to your mother! I already know you did it so why don't you take responsibility for your actions?!" Katy yells at the girl, frustrated with her not owning up to her actions.

"BUT MOM!" Maya yells.

Katy turns away from her daughter, not able to bear the upset look on her face, "Maya, go to your room. I'm taking away your art supplies. If you won't admit that you did it, then you must pay the consequences."

Maya trembles. She feels her eyes fill with tears. The blonde's hands ball up into shaking fists, and she looks up at her mother. It doesn't do much because her mother wasn't even facing her.

"Mom! I didn't do it! Please, don't take away my art supplies! That's my life!" Maya cries out.

Katy shakes her head and points to Maya's bedroom, "Go to your room. You are grounded until further notice. And to make sure you don't go running out at night, I'm locking up your window."

Maya screams in frustration, "This isn't fair! You don't even believe me, and I am telling the truth! You're my mother! Why can't you just act like it for once?!"

The blonde runs into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She locks the door, and finally, Maya lets her tears run down her face. She sobs, curling up next to the door.

 **"Dear God, won't you please, could you send someone here who will love me?"** Maya asks brokenly before sobbing again.

She sniffles, and the blonde looks out her window, the tears still streaming down her face, **"Who will love me for me not for what I have done, or what I will become... Who will love me for me 'cause nobody has shown me what love..."**

Maya wipes the tears on her sweater, **"What love really means..."**

She buries her face in her hands, sobs wracking her body.

* * *

 **"Her office is shrinking a little each day**  
 **She's the woman whose husband has run away**  
 **She'll go to the gym after working today**  
 **Maybe if she was thinner**  
 **Then he would've stayed**  
 **And she says..."**

Katy sighs, hearing the sobs coming from her daughter's room. A sharp pang of guilt hits her, and Katy quickly turns away. She grabs her keys, having to go in for another shift at the Nighthawk Diner. She glances one last time at Maya's door longingly before exiting the apartment to her car.

She opens the car and gets into the driver's seat, buckling in. Katy groans in frustration, resting her head on the steering wheel. The blonde bites her lip, wishing that Maya wasn't crying. That she could raise Maya better. That Maya could have a father.

The last thought strikes a chord in Katy, making her think of Kermit Clutterbucket. She misses his bright blue eyes that were so much like his daughter's, she missed his smirk that always seemed to grace his face all the time, and Katy most importantly missed when Kermit had been next to her, watching their baby grow into the beautiful girl she is today.

Katy blames herself for Maya not having the father she deserves. The blonde knows that if she had just been prettier or kinder, then Kermit would've stayed. It's hard giving Maya all she deserves when you are a single mother who has to work everyday all the time just so her little girl has a place to call home.

The blonde feels a tear slip down her cheek, and Katy looks up at the sky, **"Who will love me for me, not for what I have done, or what I will become... Who will love me for me 'cause nobody has shown me what love-"** Katy sniffles. **"What love really means."**

She feels another tear slip out, **"What love really means..."**

* * *

 **"He's waiting to die as he sits all alone**  
 **He's a man in a cell who regrets what he's done**  
 **He utters a cry from the depths of his soul,**  
 **'Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home.'"**

Maya whimpers, waking up one the floor. She looks outside, seeing that it had turned dark and cold. She buries her head in her hands again, trembling, but no tears come out. She hugs her knees.

With a raw, emotional voice, Maya weakly calls out into the night, "I can't do this anymore... I want to leave... God, why did you make me broken? What did I do to deserve this kind of life?"

 **"Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside**  
 **And it said,**  
 **'I know you've murdered and I know you've lied**  
 **And I have watched you suffer all of your life**  
 **And now that you'll listen I'll, I'll tell you that I...'"**

Maya feels arms wrap around her, and she is hit with a familiar, comforting scent. She feels sobs begin to wrack her body again, not able to speak. The blonde feels her head being tilted up, and she is met with the caring eyes of Riley Matthews.

"I know you didn't do it, Maya. I believe you, and I am glad you are here because you are my best friend. I love you. You may be broken, but I am here to fix you," Riley whispers softly to Maya, genuine love in her eyes.

The blonde just sobs, and she feels Riley give her a soft kiss on the forehead before wrapping her arms around Maya. Riley just lets Maya sob, gripping onto the brunette for dear life. Riley looks at her best friend with sadness.

Riley whispers to the sobbing blonde, **"I will love you for you, not for what you have done, or what you will become. I will love you for you. I will give you the love... the love that you never knew."**

She feels Maya's sobs lessen, so the brunette continues, **"Love you for you, not for what you have done, or what you will become. I will love you for you. I will give you the love-"** She hears Maya's breaths begin to even. **"The love that you never knew."**

* * *

Katy wipes down the tables of the Nighthawk Diner, about ready to lock up for the night. She looks up at the sky, just wanting to go home to her baby. Her daughter needed her, and she couldn't even be there for her half the time. Katy felt alone, like no one was there to look out for her family.

Feeling overwhelmed, Katy sits down at the table. She buries her head in her hands, feeling like she was about to cry. She felt so alone. Katy needed someone who loved her, who would protect her. Kermit was supposed to do that, but he left her.

She hears the jingle of the door, but Katy has no energy left to greet the person. She hears heavy footsteps near her until they stop. She feels a hand on her back.

"Katy?"

The blonde looks up, her eyes red from tears, "S-Shawn?"

Shawn opens his arms, concern in his eyes, "Come here, Katy..."

Katy sobs before hugging Shawn tightly. Shawn quickly hugs back, and Katy feels the loneliness start to ebb away. She cries, and Shawn strokes her hair calmingly.

"Katy... What's wrong?" he asks softly.

Katy sniffles, "I just feel... feel so helpless. I can't give Maya the life she needs. Shawn, I wish she had a father to grow up with... I just... I can't do this alone. I need someone to care for me, too..."

Shawn kisses the top of her head, "Katy... **I will love you for you, not for what you have done, or what you will become. I will love you for you. I will give you the love... the love that you never knew."**

Katy looks up at him, and Shawn smiles, **"Love you for you, not for what you have done, or what you will become. I will love you for you. I will give you the love-"** Katy gives him a small smile back. **"The love that you never knew."**

* * *

"I love you, Riles. Please, never change," Maya whispers, holding her friend tightly.

"I won't; I'll always be here, Maya. I hope you will be, too," Riley says, giving her friend a kiss on the forehead again.

Maya sighs, snuggling into Riley's embrace, "As long as I have you, I will never leave."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Thanks for the awesome suggestion! If you guys have any prompts you want me to do, just write it in the reviews, and I will usually write it as soon as possible :P Thanks for reading and please leave a follow/favorite! Thanks! Bye!  
_**

 ** _~rsbaird_**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Blind Maya AU**

Maya Hart was an artist. You see, when most people heard this, they usually blurted out "Really? That's so inspirational!" or "Uh, but don't you need to be able to see your canvas?" Usually, it was the latter. Mostly because it wasn't usual for blind people to become artists.

Whenever someone did question her dream of being an artist, she usually snapped at them, "I don't need eyes to see how much of an a** you are."

Yes, Maya Hart was slowly going blind. She had been suffering from glaucoma, a disease that causes gradual vision loss, since she was six. She remembered clearly when she had complained to her mother, Katy, about how she felt as if someone was always covering the sides of her face because she couldn't see things that were beside her without turning her head.

Katy had quickly taken Maya to an eye doctor where they confirmed that Maya indeed was going blind. The six year old was prescribed eye drops and some pills, being told to take them daily to slow down the disease. Apparently, most cases of glaucoma did not cause blindness, but Maya was one of the unfortunate few who would go blind. The only thing she could do was delay it.

It was infuriating to the fourteen year old that no matter how much she fought off the disease, she would still go blind. Maya often looked out at the world, wondering if she would ever be able to see it again. The blonde wanted to be an artist so she could paint the world, ingraining it into her mind so that when she couldn't see it with her own eyes, she could see the beauty of it in her mind.

Yes, Maya Hart was going blind, but that never stopped the stubborn blonde. She astounded all who met her with her snappy, arrogant attitude. Most people expected the blonde to be grieving about her eyesight, but the blonde just shrugged the disease off like it was nothing and continued her life as a eighth grader at John Quincy Adams.

In fact, that is where Maya was heading to right now. The short blonde sits on the subway, her hands adjusting the aviators covering her bright blue eyes. She wears a playful smirk on her face, looking around at all the people on the subway. Maya was extremely perceptive to detail.

She noticed the clean-shaven man who kept glancing at his watch who she guessed was late for an interview at a prestige business, the old woman who wore an I Heart NY shirt who Maya guessed was a tourist, and she noticed the lanky brunette girl, who was holding onto the pole next to Maya's seat, who kept smoothing out her dress. The blonde bet that the girl was extremely self-conscious and wanted to fit in with the crowd.

Maya leans back in her seat, lifting the aviators to rest on her scalp. She feels a pang of sadness as the darkness surrounding her vision becomes more noticeable. The blonde, too caught up in her own thoughts, didn't feel the subway jolt to a stop, sending the passengers standing up stumbling. Maya only came back to the real world after she felt a soft body slam into her small frame.

 **"Sorry, we seem to be having a malfunction. Please, wait while we fix the issue. Thank you for your patience."**

The blonde grunts as the person groans in pain. Maya looks on her lap to see the brunette she had noticed before on the subway. The girl looks up, smashing into Maya's chin. The blonde groans in pain as the brunette's eyes widen in horror. The girl scrambles off Maya's lap, mumbling apologies.

"I am so sorry! I am such a klutz! It doesn't look that bad, I promise! I should go get you something to put on that. Except... we are stranded in a subway... Oh my God! I'm going to be late for school! My dad is going to-" the girl rambles.

Maya giggles before bursting into a hearty laugh, "It's fine. You really know how to talk, huh? It looks like we are going to be here awhile so it wouldn't be wise for me to make things awkward between us. My name's Maya Hart. You?"

The brunette smiles brightly, and Maya wishes she could see that smile more often than that anxious look of self-consciousness that had graced the girl's face earlier. The girl tucks a strand of hair behind her ear before sitting down next to the blonde.

"Riley Matthews," she says with the bright smile.

Maya turns to Riley, "So what brings you to the subway, Riley?"

"School. I go to John Quincy Adams so I have to take the subway to school everyday. Today I got to the station early so I'm not on my usual subway. I guess this proves that I knocked the natural balance of the world out of whack," Riley jokes.

Maya smiles, "I go to John Quincy Adams, too."

Riley raises an eyebrow, "Really? I haven't seen you around before, and I basically know everybody because my dad is a teacher there."

The blonde giggles, "You're Mr. Matthews's daughter? I'm in his class, and the reason you probably don't recognize me is because I don't have these on."

Maya flicks down her aviators, her world going darker again. She sees Riley gasp in recognition. The blonde giggles at the brunette's surprised expression.

"Wait, I know you. You're the rebel who sits in the back of class! You are so cool! You led the homework rebellion! I wish I was like you!" Riley rambles out.

Maya smiles tightly, "Thanks, but you really don't want to be like me, Riles."

"Of course I do! You are like the coolest person I know! I mean, you even wear sunglasses everywhere you go, including school!" the brunette gushes.

"That's because I'm going blind," Maya says quietly.

Riley looks at her, confused, before her face lights up in realization, "What? Oh... Oh my God! I am so inconsiderate! I am so sorry!"

"Please don't apologize... I really like having a normal conversation for once instead of the typical 'you are such a brave soul for just living your life' bull s*** I usually get from people."

Riley winces at the strong language. Maya mumbles an apology, but the brunette shrugs. She looks at the blonde, smiling.

"Why do you wear the sunglasses?" Riley asks.

Maya raises an eyebrow, "Uhm, Riley... They look kind of disfigured compared to other people's eyes. If you saw my eyes, they would make you uncomfortable..."

"What? No, that's ridiculous. I saw a glance of your eyes, they were pretty," Riley promises.

Maya shakes her head, "No, Riley. My eyes are disfigured. They just don't look right. I mean, at first glance, maybe, but... It's just never ended well whenever I let people see my eyes for more than a few seconds."

Riley boldly grabs Maya's hands, "I promise I won't care about your eyes. It matters what's in the inside, not the outside."

Maya takes a deep breath before nodding. Her hands shaking, Maya slowly grabs the arms of the aviators. She looks at Riley's reassuring smile before lifting the glasses up on her scalp. She closes her eyes before taking a deep breath and opening them to see Riley's chocolate brown eyes staring at her. The blonde feels another pang of grief when the darkness threatens to swallow her vision.

"It... Your eyes are beautiful, Maya. I promise," Riley whispers, wonder twinkling in her eyes.

Maya looks at Riley questioningly, "Really?"

Riley nods, looking into Maya's eyes. The blonde had bright blue eyes, her iris threatening to cover her pupil. Darker hues of blue surrounded the bright electric blue, making Maya's eyes almost seem like a masterpiece themselves.

Maya smiles softly, a tear trickling down her face, "Riley, I want you... I want you to be with me while I still have my vision. I- I want to be able to see the world with you... I want you to make the world beautiful for me. When I am blind... I want you to be my eyes. You see the world with no evil, only the good in it, and that's how I want to remember the world."

The brunette smiles, "Of course, Maya. I want to be there with you, too. I want to show you everything you can before your vision leaves you forever. When you are blind, I'll tell you all the beauty in the world so that you may envision it in your mind."

Maya gathers Riley in a hug, a sniffle leaving the usually tough blonde, "Thank you..."

Riley squeezes Maya tightly, "Of course, Maya..."

The blonde gives Riley a watery smile, "I think we are gonna be best friends, Riles..."

Riley grins, "I hope so, Maya, because I wouldn't want it any other way."

 **"Attention, passengers, we have fixed the malfunction, and we shall continue to the next stop. Thank you for waiting."**

"Ready to take on the world, Maya?" Riley asks with a smile.

Maya grabs Riley's hand, "With you? I'm ready to take on the universe."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know, I know! Not one of the requests! This has been stuck in my mind and stopping me from writing what you guys want so I just wrote it so I could actually focus on what you guys want. Sorry, but I should update soon! Thanks for reading! Leave a follow/favorite for more!**_

 _ **Also, if you have a suggestion for a chapter/one-shot, write it in the reviews!**_

 ** _Stay awesome! Thanks for the support! Bye!  
_**

 ** _~rsbaird :P_**


End file.
